Fishers in this village on the northwestern tip of Selayar Island, in eastern Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province, are a fortnight into a community experiment.
For three months, from mid-November to mid-February, they’ve committed to zero extraction or exploitation of the 6 hectares (15 acres) of sea off Jeneiya Kahu-Kahu Beach. That means no fishing, seaweed cultivation, shellfish collection, or throwing of trash.
Definitely no fish bombs, added Andri Mustain, coordinator of the Selayar Islands program of the Bali-based Indonesian Nature Foundation, known locally as Yayasan LINI.
“The [closure] agreement states that in all coastal and marine areas of Kahu-Kahu village, it is strictly prohibited to catch fish using toxic materials and or fish bombs that damage the environment,” he said. “The hope with this closure activity is that the community sees themselves managing their own resources.”